The Smart Travel Analytics Show brings together thought leaders and practitioners of data and analytics in the travel and hospitality spaces. Expect to network with leading hotels, airlines, OTAs, GDS, Cruises, Destinations and travel technology companies from across North America and beyond. Spend 2 days filled with best-practice strategies, cutting-edge trends and vigorous debate – as well as powerful networking opportunities with the analytics and data travel industry elite.

The conference will take place on February 11th & 12th at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City.

Mad Bear will focus on helping the tourism, travel and hospitality industries understand how to better leverage the power and flexibility of cross-platform video analytics.

For more information on the show and/or to learn more about the other sponsors for this event, please click here.

In addition to being one of the founders of Mad Bear, I am lucky enough to be asked to cover events for various news agencies. Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa to cover the death and funeral of Nelson Mandela.

This provided me with a unique opportunity to speak to crews from all around the world, to listen to their coverage and watch their stories. I was struck by two things: At least half the broadcasters were reporting similar information from a similar perspective, hitting the same bullet points, emphasizing the headlines, their coverage by en large covering the ‘event’ as one would a pop- culture event, which, in many ways it was, given the celebrity of Nelson Mandela, his status as an icon and a cult of personality. This was generally the tack of the US networks and their western counterparts.

The other half covered the event in a more personal fashion, a perspective guided by their relationship with South Africa and Mandela based on economic, geographical, and ideological factors.

The ability to look at an historical event from various perspectives simultaneously was unique. It was a lesson learned, a reminder not to settle for the obvious. This is a great example of how our backgrounds in news influence how we approach our client’s stories, and in the way we tell their stories. Examining a story from varied perspectives allows us to to more effectively tell stories based on our clients and their audience. It is uniquely fulfilling and fun to be able to apply lessons from one world and bring them to bear in the Mad Bear world (yes… the Bear pun was intended).

About Julian Williams:

As Director of Photography and co-founder of Mad Bear Productions, all things visual pass before Julian’s creative and experienced eyes. He has been capturing the story as it happens from behind the lens for more than fifteen years.

Julian’s ability to find the extraordinary in the seemingly mundane is his gift. As both a cameraman and editor, Julian understands the importance of shooting the right material the first time. With a developed love for telling stories and a deep appreciation for being allowed inside the worlds of thousands of people, Julian loves shooting every kind of story.

From Shuttle launches at Cape Canaveral, natural disasters, historic elections, Super Bowls, The Olympics, a World Cup to the recent royal wedding; Julian brings his global experience and understanding for the latest technologies and trends to Mad Bear’s clientele.